near three feet long. The feet are feeble, and united by membranes, as in those of the goose. Of what use these membranes are does not appear, as the bird is never seen swimming, its legs and thighs being sufficient to bear it into those depths where it seeks for prey.

This extraordinary bird is now chiefly found in America, but was once known on all the coasts of Europe. It is still occasionally met with on the shores of the Mediter

ranean.

Its beauty, its size, and the peculiar delicacy of its flesh, have been such temptations to destroy or take it, that it has long since deserted the shores frequented by man, and taken refuge in countries that are as yet but thinly peopled.

When the Europeans first came to America, and coasted down along the African shores, they found the Flamingos on several shores on either continent gentle, and no way distrustful of mankind. When the fowler had killed one, the rest of the flock, far from attempting to fly, only regarded the fall of their companion in a kind of fixed astonishment: another and another shot was discharged; and thus the fowler often levelled the whole flock, before one of them began to think of escaping.

But at present it is very different in that part of the world; and the Flamingo is not only one of the scarcest, but one of the shyest birds in the world, and the most difficult of approach. They chiefly keep near the most deserted and inhospitable shores; near salt water lakes and swampy islands. When seen by mariners in the day, they always appear drawn up in a long close line of two or three hundred together; and, as Dampier tells us, present, at the distance of half a mile, the exact representation of a long brick wall. This line, however, is broken when they seek for food; but they always appoint one of the number as a watch, whose only employment is to observe and give

notice of danger while the rest are feeding. As soon as this trusty sentinel perceives the remotest appearance of danger, he gives a loud scream, with a voice as shrill as a trumpet, and instantly the whole cohort are upon the wing. The flesh of the old ones is black and hard, though, Dampier says, well tasted: that of the young ones is better. But, of all delicacies, the Flamingo's tongue is the most celebrated. In fact, the Roman emperors considered them as the highest luxury; and we have an account of one of them, who procured fifteen hundred Flamingoes' tongues to be served up in a single dish. The tongue of this bird, which is so much sought after, is that of any other bird whatever. go is like a large black box, of an irregular figure, and filled with a tongue which is black and gristly.

a good deal larger than The bill of the Flamin

Their time of breeding is according to the climate in which they reside: in North America they breed in summer; on the other side of the line they take the most favourable season of the year. They build their nests in extensive marshes, and where they are in no danger of a surprise. The nest is not less curious than the animal that builds it: it is raised from the surface of the pool about a foot and a half, formed of mud, scraped up together, and hardened by the sun, or the heat of the bird's body: it resembles a truncated cone, or one of the pots which we see placed on chimneys; on the top it is hollowed out to the shape of the bird, and in that cavity the female lays her eggs, without any lining but the well cemented mud that forms the sides of the building. She always lays two eggs, and no more; and, as her legs are immoderately long, she straddles on the nest, while her legs hang down, one on each side, into the water. The young ones are a long while before they are able to fly; but they run with amazing swiftness. They are sometimes caught; and,

very different from the old ones, suffer themselves to be carried home, and are tamed very easily.*

THE AUK.

THE first European bird of the web-footed fowls with short legs, which naturalists introduce to our notice, is the Auk, of which there are about twelve species. The whole tribe is distinguished peculiarly by the form of the bill, which is strong, convex, compressed at the sides, in general crossed with several furrows, and in some degree resembling the coulter of a plough.

Is the size of a goose; its bill is black, about four inches and a quarter in length, and covered at the base with short velvet-like feathers. The upper parts of the plumage are black, and the lower parts white, with a spot of

*This singular species are seen on the southern frontiers of the U. States, and on the peninsula of East Florida. They are also common in the warmer parts of America, Peru, Chili, Cayenne, Brazil and the West Indies.-Vilson.

white between the bill and the eyes, and an oblong stripe of the same on the wings, which are too short for flight. The bird is also a very bad walker, but swims and dives well. It is, however, observed by seamen, that it is never seen out of soundings, so that its appearance serves as an infallible direction to land. It feeds on the lump fish and others of the same size; and is frequent on the coasts of Norway, Greenland, Newfoundland, &c. It lays its eggs close to the seamark.

THE RAZORBILL

Is not above half the size of the preceding, which it resembles both in form and plumage, except that it has the use of its wings, and lays its egg (for each of these species lays but one) on the bare top of a precipice, and fastens it by a cement, so as to prevent its rolling off. It is pretty common on the coasts of England during the summer seaThe BLACKBILLED AUK is still smaller.

son.

the half next the point is red, that next the base is blue gray. It has three furrows or grooves impressed in it ; one in the livid part, two in the red. The eyes are fenced with a protuberant skin, of a livid colour; and they are gray or ash coloured.

The Puffin, like all the rest of this kind, has its legs thrown so far back, that it can hardly move without tumbling. This makes it rise with difficulty, and subject to many falls before it gets upon the wing; but as it is a small bird, when it once rises, it can continue its flight with great celerity

All the winter these birds are absent, visiting regions too remote for discovery. At the latter end of March, or the beginning of April, a troop of their spies or harbingers come and stay two or three days, as it were to view and search out their former situations, and see whether all be well. This done, they once more depart; and, about the beginning of May, retnrn again with the whole army of their companions. But if the season happens to be stormy and tempestuous, and the sea troubled, the unfortunate voyagers undergo incredible hardships; and they are found, by hundreds, cast away upon the shores, lean and perished with famine.

The Puffin, when it prepares for breeding, which always happens a few days after its arrival, begins to scrape out a hole in the ground, not far from the shore; and when it has penetrated some way into the earth, it then throws itself upon its back, and with its bill and claws thus burrows inward, till it has dug a hole with several windings and turnings, from eight to ten feet deep. It particularly seeks to dig under a stone, where it expects the greatest security. In this fortified retreat it lays one egg; which, though the bird be not much bigger than a pigeon, is the size of a hen's.